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'He's causing havoc': Parrot loose in Inverness blamed for damage to cars

News imageAngus Chisholm A green bird with a pink hooked beak is sitting on a tree branchAngus Chisholm
The parakeet has been seen in Inverness since February

A parrot is being blamed for causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage to cars in an Inverness suburb.

The bird - a type of parrot called a parakeet - has been seen flying around the Lochardil area of the city since February this year.

And local residents say they regularly see it pecking at window seals and windscreen wipers, gouging out huge chunks of rubber.

"Parakeet is not a good word round here in Inverness," said local resident Cathleen MacKinnon. "This little chap causes havoc on the cars around here."

She told BBC Radio Scotland's Out of Doors: "I have never seen the bird - I have just seen the damage it causes."

Some of her neighbours are covering their cars in tarpaulin to protect them from the bird; one is rumoured to have spent £800 on repairs.

News imageChrissanne Robertson standing next to her damaged car. She is wearing a green shirt and a black padded gilet. Her arm is next to the window seal at the rear of her silver car
Chrissanne Robertson's car has been damaged by the bird

Another resident, Chrissanne Robertson, said the bird was spotted in their street earlier this year.

"And of course, we all thought it looked lovely, until we saw the damage it was doing to the cars," she added.

"He's done a lot of damage to cars up and down the street and we can't do anything about it."

She estimates that the bird has done thousands of pounds worth of damage during its time on the street.

"Sometimes we'll see him, sometimes we won't," she said.

"Sometimes it leaves, it can be away for a couple of weeks, and we think, 'oh we won't see it again', but then somebody will go out the next day and you'll here a shout of 'he's back again!'."

News imageVictoria Powell A green bird perched on the handle of a doorVictoria Powell
The parakeet has been pictured sitting on the handle of Chrissane's front door
News imageA photograph of the damaged car window seal. The reflection of a woman is visiable in the door frame.
The bird has pecked chunks out of the window seals

Chrissanne said they had approached RSPB Scotland, the Scottish SPCA and NatureScot about the issue but they were unable to help.

"We're trying everything, but the bird is still here," she said.

"I don't know what we're going to do - we laugh about it some days and cry other days."

Parakeets are the UK's only naturalised parrot, according to the RSPB, and they are common sight around London and parts of the south-east of England.

The bird charity says there are about 8,600 breeding pairs, and they have a wingspan of up to 48cm (19in).

But they are much more unusual in the north of Scotland and the bird in Lochardil is thought to be an escaped pet.

News imageA photograph of a windscreen wiper with a large chunk out of the rubber
Windscreen wipers have also been under attack

A spokesperson for Highland Council said their environmental health team would not get involved "as these are wild birds".

RSPB Scotland, the Scottish SPCA, and NatureScot have been approached for comment.